The Dutch games industry employed 4,291 people by the end of 2023, a decline of 269 persons compared to 2021, with employment decreasing by 3% per year between 2021 and 2023, though revenue increased by an average annual rate of 10.5% to €763 million.
02
The percentage of female workers in the Dutch games industry is rising, reaching 23.2% currently, aligning with broader European and North American industry averages.
03
Applied games studios are adopting generative AI faster than entertainment studios, using or testing it for localization, dialogue, training content, and audio, with clients open to custom AI-enabled solutions, while entertainment studios are more hesitant due to potential player backlash.
04
The Greater Amsterdam urban region remains the primary hub for the Dutch games industry, offering nearly 1,800 jobs by the end of 2023, and notably continued to grow employment between 2021 and 2023 despite an overall industry decline.
05
There are 41 game education programs in the Netherlands, similar to 2022, primarily focusing on programming or game art, with a majority of courses having around 40% of students stating they will never use AI for finished assets.
06
Several notable Dutch game companies faced difficulties in 2023-2024, including Ronimo Games filing for bankruptcy, Paladin Studios laying off all employees, Keoken Interactive also laying off all employees, and Sony-owned Guerrilla Games reportedly laying off 10% of its staff due to worldwide reorganization.
07
The outlook for applied games is optimistic due to growing acceptance of immersive technologies and increased use of gaming methods, but these companies face rising competition from non-gaming companies in gamified e-learning and VR/XR applications.
Insights
01
The Dutch games industry employed 4,291 people by the end of 2023, a decline of 269 persons compared to 2021, with employment decreasing by 3% per year between 2021 and 2023, though revenue increased by an average annual rate of 10.5% to €763 million.
02
The percentage of female workers in the Dutch games industry is rising, reaching 23.2% currently, aligning with broader European and North American industry averages.
03
Applied games studios are adopting generative AI faster than entertainment studios, using or testing it for localization, dialogue, training content, and audio, with clients open to custom AI-enabled solutions, while entertainment studios are more hesitant due to potential player backlash.
04
The Greater Amsterdam urban region remains the primary hub for the Dutch games industry, offering nearly 1,800 jobs by the end of 2023, and notably continued to grow employment between 2021 and 2023 despite an overall industry decline.
05
There are 41 game education programs in the Netherlands, similar to 2022, primarily focusing on programming or game art, with a majority of courses having around 40% of students stating they will never use AI for finished assets.
06
Several notable Dutch game companies faced difficulties in 2023-2024, including Ronimo Games filing for bankruptcy, Paladin Studios laying off all employees, Keoken Interactive also laying off all employees, and Sony-owned Guerrilla Games reportedly laying off 10% of its staff due to worldwide reorganization.
07
The outlook for applied games is optimistic due to growing acceptance of immersive technologies and increased use of gaming methods, but these companies face rising competition from non-gaming companies in gamified e-learning and VR/XR applications.